Mt Horeb Telephone Company and MH Telecom LLC dba MHTC

MHTC (“Company”) provides this Network Transparency Statement in accordance with the FCC’s Restore Internet Freedom Rules to ensure that you have sufficient information to make informed choices about the purchase of broadband services.  Information about MHTC’s other policies and practices concerning broadband are available at www.MHTC.net (“MHTC’s Website”).

MHTC engages in network management practices that are tailored and appropriate for achieving optimization on the network considering the network architecture and technology of its broadband Internet access service.  MHTC’s goal is to ensure that all of its customers experience an Internet environment that is fast, reliable and affordable.  MHTC wants its customers to indulge in all that the Internet has to offer, whether it is social networking, streaming videos and music, to communicating through email and videoconferencing.  MHTC has no intention of blocking, throttling or controlling the internet in a matter that would degrade your experience.

MHTC’s network management includes congestion- and security-protocol-management and customers generally will not be impacted by the protocols and practices that MHTC uses to manage its network.

1. MHTC’s Network Transparency Disclosures

MHTC uses various tools and industry standard techniques to manage its network and deliver fast, secure and reliable Internet service.  MHTC believes in full transparency and provides the following disclosures about its network management practices:

1. Blocking: MHTC does not block or discriminate against lawful content. 

2. Throttling: MHTC does not throttle, impair or degrade lawful Internet traffic.

3. Affiliated Prioritization: Only at the customer’s request would MHTC prioritize internet traffic

4. Paid Prioritization: MHTC has never engaged in paid prioritization. We don’t prioritize Internet for consideration to benefit particular content, applications, services or devices. MHTC does not have plans to enter paid prioritization deals to create fast lanes.

5. Congestion Management: MHTC monitors the connections on its network in the aggregate on a daily basis to determine the rate of utilization. If congestion emerges on the network, MHTC will take the appropriate measures to relieve congestion.

On MHTC’s network, all customers have access to all legal services, applications and content online and, in the event of congestion, most Internet activities will be unaffected.  Some customers, however, may experience longer download or upload times, or slower surf speeds on the web if instances of congestion do occur on MHTC’s network.

Customers using conduct that abuses or threatens the MHTC network or which violates the company’s Acceptable Use Policy, Internet service Terms and Conditions, or the Internet Service Agreement will be asked to stop any such use immediately.  A failure to respond or to cease any such conduct could result in service suspension or termination.

MHTC’s network and congestion management practices are ‘application-agnostic’, based on current network conditions, and are not implemented on the basis of customers’ online activities, protocols or applications. MHTC’s network management practices do not relate to any particular customer’s aggregate monthly data usage.

MHTC monitors its network to determine utilization on its network.  MHTC also checks for abnormal traffic flows, network security breaches, malware, loss, and damage to the network. If a breach is detected or high-volume users are brought to light by complaint, MHTC provides notification to the customer via email, paper mail or phone.  If a violation of MHTC’s policies has occurred and such violation is not remedied, MHTC will seek to suspend or terminate that customer’s service.

6. Application-Specific Behavior: Except as may be provided elsewhere herein, MHTC does not currently engage in any application-specific behaviors on its network. Customers may use any lawful applications with MHTC.

7. Device Attachment Rules: For best results, MHTC provides ONTs, DSL modems, wireless modems, on the MHTC broadband network. Customers may attach devices of their choosing to their modems, including wired or wireless routers, laptops, desktop computers, video game systems, televisions, or another network-enabled electronics equipment. However, customers are responsible for ensuring that their equipment does not harm MHTC’s network or impair the service of other customers. MHTC is not responsible for the functionality or compatibility of any equipment provided by its customers. Customers are responsible for securing their own equipment to prevent unauthorized access to MHTC’s broadband network by third parties and will be held responsible for the actions of such third parties who gain unauthorized access through unsecured customer equipment.

8. Network Security: MHTC knows the importance of securing its network and customers from network threats and annoyances. The company promotes the security of its network and patrons by protections from such threats as spam, viruses, firewall issues, and phishing schemes.  MHTC also deploys spam filters in order to divert spam from an online customer’s email inbox into a quarantine file while allowing the customer to control which emails are identified as spam.  Customers may access the spam files through the email.  Spam files are automatically deleted if not accessed within _14___ days.

As its normal practice, MHTC does not block any protocols, content or traffic for purposes of network management, but MHTC may block or limit such traffic as spam, viruses, malware, or denial of service attacks to protect network integrity and the security of our customers.

1. Network Performance
2. Service Descriptions

MHTC deploys Internet access to its subscribers through broadband access (Dial-Up DSL, Fiber) and wireless services

2. Network Performances

MHTC makes every effort to support advertised speeds MHTC measures availability, latency, and aggregate utilization on the network and strives to meet internal service level targets.

However, the bandwidth speed at which a particular distant website or other Internet resources may be downloaded, or the speed at which your customer information may be uploaded to a distant website or Internet location is affected by factors beyond MHTC’ control, including the speed of the connection from a distant web server to the Internet, congestion on intermediate networks, and/or limitations on your own computer equipment, including a wireless router.  In addition, your service performance may be affected by the inside wiring at your premise.  Accordingly, you, the customer, must consider the capabilities of your own equipment. Your computers and/or wireless or other networks in your homes or offices may need an upgrade in order to take full advantage of MHTC broadband plan.

For the wireless service, MHTC measures Bit Error Rate (BER) and the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) parameters for transmission rates, latency, and traffic.  For DSL, Fiber and T1 service, MHTC measures traffic regularly.  All services are best effort.

MHTC tests each service for actual and expected access speeds at the time of network installation to demonstrate that the service is capable of supporting the advertised speed.

Customers may also test their actual speeds using the speed test located at http://speedtest.mhtc.net/ on MHTC’ website and may request assistance by calling our business office at 608-437-5551(Mt Horeb) or 608-930-9985 (Dodgeville) or by email at info@mhtcinc.com  .

Advertised Speed/ Expected Speed

Facility based service

Advertised Speed                           Expected Speed*

* Speeds may not be available at all service addresses and are expressed as “up to” to represent network capabilities between customer and MHTC. Customers will be informed of the actual speed they should expect.

Wireless based service

Advertised Speed                           Expected Speed **

**Speeds may not be available at all service addresses and are expressed as “up to” to represent wireless network capabilities between customer and MHTC. Customers will be informed of the actual speed they should expect.

1. Impact of Non-BIAS Data Services

MHTC provides Voice-over-the-Internet-Protocol (VoIP), as such this service is given a higher importance, MHTC dedicates paths for VoIP and QoS on the routers/switches in the MHTC network.

1. Commercial Terms

Pricing and additional service information may be found www.MHTC.net.

In addition to this Network Transparency Statement, patrons may also find links to the following on the MHTC Website:

• Privacy Policy
• Acceptable Use Policy

For questions, complaints or requests for additional information, please contact MHTC at:

Business Office at 608-437-5551(Mt Horeb) or 608-930-9985 (Dodgeville)

Email at Billing @mhtcinc.com